Guatemala - May/June 08
A very brief history - The centre of an ancient Maya civilisation, Guatemala is invaded and colonised by the Spanish early in the 16th Century, beginning a 450-year period of social and political turmoil characterised by coups, assassinations and military dictatorships.
The country proclaims its independence in 1821, but real reform is not achieved until 1944 when a civilian is elected president. The following 10 years, the so-called 'Ten Years of Spring', see the introduction of a land acquisition program designed to improve the livelihood of the landless Mayan peasantry, but at the cost of antagonising the powerful United Fruit Company. The company controls much of the agricultural land in Guatemala and has connections at the highest level in the United States Government.
The reformist government is overthrown by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) backed coup d'état in June 1954. The CIA's involvement includes the compilation of lists of individuals to be "eliminated", imprisoned or deported following the coup.
An outbreak of protests against the now military-aligned government in March and April of 1962 marks the beginning a 34-year civil war between leftist guerrilla groups and the government for control of the country. The Mayan peasants are caught in the middle and suffer the brunt of the violence and killings.
The military will control the government for 20 out of the next 24 years.
Week 1 – Arrived in Guatemala City on my flight from Seattle (highlights being visiting the ORIGINAL starbucks, the space needle, and visiting my long lost aunt Isobel) via Dallas, Texas, where I lose both my I-pod and my Guatemala guide I had just purchased shiny and new. Luckily at Gate 46, they have an I-pod vending machine (yes I did say that!) so in a 2 second decision as I bolted for my connecting flight, in goes the credit card and out comes a brand spanking new I-pod touch for me to play with in Guatemala.
I hate American Airlines! Never again! I’d rather swim to Guatemala next time. Cheap cheap cheapskates, who like to starve their passengers to death rather than fork out on a bag of peanuts! The first familiar thing I notice from Guatemala is the McDonalds golden arches from the air: the price of progress! Picked up by a cheerful young chap, Eddie, who drives me to my new hone and family in Antigua. Being able to communicate, badly, in Spanish along the way, I wondered how difficult this experience was going to be. Arrived at la casa and not a word of English was spoken whilst I was shown around the house by my new mama (Estela), introduced to the father (Nery) and daughter Carla and told of the elusive Faviola (older daughter who remained elusive for the rest of the stay). I was introduced to the yelping, little, irritatingly fluffy dog, Huesito, before being told where and how to pee and how to clean up if I did manage to “sprinkle” on the seat. An interesting introduction to the family I am to spend a month living with.
Day 1 at school was fine. As were days 2, 3 4 and 5. Carlos is my teacher, a nice man with little structure to his approach but patient and nice to chat to so all good. This first week I explored the city.
Antigua is a quaint little town it seems, with not too much going on at this point, but plenty of nice bars, restaurants and courtyards for relaxing/ eating/ studying in. The volcano towers above the pueblo to the south and makes a fantastic backdrop for this old colonial post in Central America. The streets are cobbled and laid out like a grid, so easy to maneuver. Iglesias are everywhere, as are the missionaries and abundance of Spanish schools that have (since the dawn of time) catered to them. And as numerous are the tour agencies that cater to the many students / backpackers and general Americans passing through. In Antigua, in invierno, days are hot, afternoons are wet and nights are cold. We are up in the highlands, don’t forget!
Places to go in Antigua – Café Condessa, an institution in Antigua with an ornate courtyard, snacks, good coffee and cakes and a great little bookshop attached. Wireless internet places where one can while the days away are Bagel Barn, Fernando’s Café and Rainbow café (this latter one having a tiny bookshop, free nightly entertainment, a good menu and friendly staff). For la cena, try La Pena de Sol Latino, for great food, relaxed atmosphere and live traditional music playing nightly. Get there early for a nice table, though! At first I was to find Antigua quiet at night, but that changed, as I discovered that there is many an option for the discerning socialite.End of week one my brain is no longer working. I forget the word for “avocado” in English. “Avocado!” I forget many more as my brain starts to collapse under the strain of not being able to communicate in the manner and a the speed at which my brain wants to. I can say no more on this, or any, matter………………………..
Week 2 – The week I nearly died! Hot water is not the norm in Guatemala. I don’ think gas combi-boilers have made it over here, so they have these electrical shower head bolt-ons, in the more affluent homes at least. Whilst showering one morning and trying to enjoy the trickle of luke warm water coming from this dodgy looking appliance with wires hanging out of it and that carried an electric current both to the metal shower tap below and also to the shower head, which electrocuted you if you put your hands in the air. Anyway there I am enjoying the trickle when there’s a sudden spark, bang and blinding flash. I jump out the shower, naked and wet, and look back. To my horror, the whole thing’s on fire, and it’s spreading along all the wires. I decide to leave the room when I inhale the burning plastic and start to cough! No coffee needed that morning to wake me up! Whitney Cesari, my new sister from Atlanta, Georgia, arrives to brighten up the house: a Georgetown graduate who’s going to Medical school in Memphis and my new companion in Antigua. I couldn’t have asked for a better / nicer person to share the experience with! The majority of this week was spent in Guatemala City in a nice hotel (Princess and recommended) where we had our Regional meeting, so 3 days of work. Lots of activity, networking, a tour round la ciudad by a local, and a drunken night out on the town. Back to Antigua for rest and relaxation. Or so I thought……
Week 3 – The week of the never-ending rain, the tail end of a Hurricane in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, and a TACA plane crash in the region - great!!! Keep bumping into this architect from England, like everywhere. So decide to hang out and have a few beers and hit the town one night, discovering the darker side of Guatemala and the after hours seen. Muy divertido!
At the end of this week, we rewarded ourselves with a trip deep into the jungles of El Petén in the north to Tikal, the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also met Jonathan from Texas, our new best friend and travel companion. Bused it there on the Friday night, arrived in Flores / Santa Elena having hardly slept and waited in some dodgy Café where they played Ricki Martin until we were collected and whisked away to Jungle Lodge, inside Tikal, and the best of the accommodations there. Day 1 and we visit the ruins. There are thousands of ancient structures at Tikal and only a fraction of these have been excavated after decades of archaeological work. The most prominent surviving buildings include six very large Mesoamerican step pyramids, labeled Temples I - VI, each of which support a temple structure on their summits. Some of these pyramids are over 60 meters high (200 feet) and are pretty impressive, with some great masks carved into the stones. We climbed a few structures and looked around that day. Was really quite impressive although if I have to be honest, not a patch on Petra in Jordan or the lost city of Angkor in Cambodia. I started to wonder if I was becoming desensitized to the wonder and awe of the amazing places and ancient ruins in this world, and am starting to think that I have to stop travelling to so many interesting places as I am starting to take things for granted. I want the excitement back from travelling.
Good things I take from the trip (in no particular order) - the fantastic people I met and spent it with (the above Americanos and Rana the Palestinian), the pictures I took, the Scorpion we encountered, the beetle I slept with, the day we spent above the treetops “zip-lining” in the canopy of the jungle and the scary near-death tiny plane experience back from Tikal.
A very brief history - The centre of an ancient Maya civilisation, Guatemala is invaded and colonised by the Spanish early in the 16th Century, beginning a 450-year period of social and political turmoil characterised by coups, assassinations and military dictatorships.
The country proclaims its independence in 1821, but real reform is not achieved until 1944 when a civilian is elected president. The following 10 years, the so-called 'Ten Years of Spring', see the introduction of a land acquisition program designed to improve the livelihood of the landless Mayan peasantry, but at the cost of antagonising the powerful United Fruit Company. The company controls much of the agricultural land in Guatemala and has connections at the highest level in the United States Government.
The reformist government is overthrown by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) backed coup d'état in June 1954. The CIA's involvement includes the compilation of lists of individuals to be "eliminated", imprisoned or deported following the coup.
An outbreak of protests against the now military-aligned government in March and April of 1962 marks the beginning a 34-year civil war between leftist guerrilla groups and the government for control of the country. The Mayan peasants are caught in the middle and suffer the brunt of the violence and killings.
The military will control the government for 20 out of the next 24 years.
Week 1 – Arrived in Guatemala City on my flight from Seattle (highlights being visiting the ORIGINAL starbucks, the space needle, and visiting my long lost aunt Isobel) via Dallas, Texas, where I lose both my I-pod and my Guatemala guide I had just purchased shiny and new. Luckily at Gate 46, they have an I-pod vending machine (yes I did say that!) so in a 2 second decision as I bolted for my connecting flight, in goes the credit card and out comes a brand spanking new I-pod touch for me to play with in Guatemala.
I hate American Airlines! Never again! I’d rather swim to Guatemala next time. Cheap cheap cheapskates, who like to starve their passengers to death rather than fork out on a bag of peanuts! The first familiar thing I notice from Guatemala is the McDonalds golden arches from the air: the price of progress! Picked up by a cheerful young chap, Eddie, who drives me to my new hone and family in Antigua. Being able to communicate, badly, in Spanish along the way, I wondered how difficult this experience was going to be. Arrived at la casa and not a word of English was spoken whilst I was shown around the house by my new mama (Estela), introduced to the father (Nery) and daughter Carla and told of the elusive Faviola (older daughter who remained elusive for the rest of the stay). I was introduced to the yelping, little, irritatingly fluffy dog, Huesito, before being told where and how to pee and how to clean up if I did manage to “sprinkle” on the seat. An interesting introduction to the family I am to spend a month living with.
Day 1 at school was fine. As were days 2, 3 4 and 5. Carlos is my teacher, a nice man with little structure to his approach but patient and nice to chat to so all good. This first week I explored the city.
Antigua is a quaint little town it seems, with not too much going on at this point, but plenty of nice bars, restaurants and courtyards for relaxing/ eating/ studying in. The volcano towers above the pueblo to the south and makes a fantastic backdrop for this old colonial post in Central America. The streets are cobbled and laid out like a grid, so easy to maneuver. Iglesias are everywhere, as are the missionaries and abundance of Spanish schools that have (since the dawn of time) catered to them. And as numerous are the tour agencies that cater to the many students / backpackers and general Americans passing through. In Antigua, in invierno, days are hot, afternoons are wet and nights are cold. We are up in the highlands, don’t forget!
Places to go in Antigua – Café Condessa, an institution in Antigua with an ornate courtyard, snacks, good coffee and cakes and a great little bookshop attached. Wireless internet places where one can while the days away are Bagel Barn, Fernando’s Café and Rainbow café (this latter one having a tiny bookshop, free nightly entertainment, a good menu and friendly staff). For la cena, try La Pena de Sol Latino, for great food, relaxed atmosphere and live traditional music playing nightly. Get there early for a nice table, though! At first I was to find Antigua quiet at night, but that changed, as I discovered that there is many an option for the discerning socialite.End of week one my brain is no longer working. I forget the word for “avocado” in English. “Avocado!” I forget many more as my brain starts to collapse under the strain of not being able to communicate in the manner and a the speed at which my brain wants to. I can say no more on this, or any, matter………………………..
Week 2 – The week I nearly died! Hot water is not the norm in Guatemala. I don’ think gas combi-boilers have made it over here, so they have these electrical shower head bolt-ons, in the more affluent homes at least. Whilst showering one morning and trying to enjoy the trickle of luke warm water coming from this dodgy looking appliance with wires hanging out of it and that carried an electric current both to the metal shower tap below and also to the shower head, which electrocuted you if you put your hands in the air. Anyway there I am enjoying the trickle when there’s a sudden spark, bang and blinding flash. I jump out the shower, naked and wet, and look back. To my horror, the whole thing’s on fire, and it’s spreading along all the wires. I decide to leave the room when I inhale the burning plastic and start to cough! No coffee needed that morning to wake me up! Whitney Cesari, my new sister from Atlanta, Georgia, arrives to brighten up the house: a Georgetown graduate who’s going to Medical school in Memphis and my new companion in Antigua. I couldn’t have asked for a better / nicer person to share the experience with! The majority of this week was spent in Guatemala City in a nice hotel (Princess and recommended) where we had our Regional meeting, so 3 days of work. Lots of activity, networking, a tour round la ciudad by a local, and a drunken night out on the town. Back to Antigua for rest and relaxation. Or so I thought……
Week 3 – The week of the never-ending rain, the tail end of a Hurricane in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, and a TACA plane crash in the region - great!!! Keep bumping into this architect from England, like everywhere. So decide to hang out and have a few beers and hit the town one night, discovering the darker side of Guatemala and the after hours seen. Muy divertido!
At the end of this week, we rewarded ourselves with a trip deep into the jungles of El Petén in the north to Tikal, the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also met Jonathan from Texas, our new best friend and travel companion. Bused it there on the Friday night, arrived in Flores / Santa Elena having hardly slept and waited in some dodgy Café where they played Ricki Martin until we were collected and whisked away to Jungle Lodge, inside Tikal, and the best of the accommodations there. Day 1 and we visit the ruins. There are thousands of ancient structures at Tikal and only a fraction of these have been excavated after decades of archaeological work. The most prominent surviving buildings include six very large Mesoamerican step pyramids, labeled Temples I - VI, each of which support a temple structure on their summits. Some of these pyramids are over 60 meters high (200 feet) and are pretty impressive, with some great masks carved into the stones. We climbed a few structures and looked around that day. Was really quite impressive although if I have to be honest, not a patch on Petra in Jordan or the lost city of Angkor in Cambodia. I started to wonder if I was becoming desensitized to the wonder and awe of the amazing places and ancient ruins in this world, and am starting to think that I have to stop travelling to so many interesting places as I am starting to take things for granted. I want the excitement back from travelling.
Good things I take from the trip (in no particular order) - the fantastic people I met and spent it with (the above Americanos and Rana the Palestinian), the pictures I took, the Scorpion we encountered, the beetle I slept with, the day we spent above the treetops “zip-lining” in the canopy of the jungle and the scary near-death tiny plane experience back from Tikal.
Week 4 – My last week, the highlight being the hike up the active Pacaya Volcano for my first close encounter with red hot molten rock / lava.
History - Pacaya is a highly active and complex volcano in Guatemala, which first erupted approximately 23,000 years ago and has erupted at least 23 times since the Spanish conquest of Guatemala. After being dormant for a century, it erupted violently in 1965 and has been erupting continuously since then, hence the continuous stream or river of lava that is coming from it. Wow, is all I can say! My Volcano experience ten years ago in Indonesia may have been beaten! Despite the dangerousness of it all, this is a definite must. The 4 hour hike (there and back) is beautiful, but take note to do it in the morning when the weather is better. The scenery changes from lush and vegetative to barren, rocky, alien-like moonscape (is how I can best describe it) as the hardened lava rock from the steadily flowing stream gently creeps across and down the volcano creating a new shape and dimension to the volcano. I can’t explain in words how incredible this place was. You really have to see it to believe it.
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